CHAPTER 2

DISCLAIMER: THERE ONCE WAS A MAN NAMED RICK. THE BOOK HE WROTE WAS A HIT. BUT, ALAS HIS OWNERSHP WAS STRICT. AS SHOCK AS CLARISSE'S MAIMER, WE STILL HAVE TO WRITE A DISCLAIMER; TO THOSE WHO MAY BEBLIND, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? SO, BOTTOM LINE: PERCY LOVES BLUE AND ANNABETH LOVES GRAY. RICK RIORDAN OWNS THEM, THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY

DISCLAIMER WRITTEN BY SOMEONE THAT I DON'T REMEMBER THEIR NAME BUT IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I AM ACKNOWLEDGING YOU.

She was lying there on the floor with no physical marks of death and Thalia thought she was just sleeping. After five hours of her lying on the floor not moving, no sign she was alive Thalia called the police. They came and drove her to the hospital. The last time they saw their mother was when she was covered in tubes, the doctors trying to bring her back, but she was long gone and they knew it. Jason stood there crying into his sister's side.
Jason woke in a sweat. It was just a dream he told himself as he got up and stretched. He woke Thalia and they packed up their things to go and get breakfast. The two of them walked out the alley they had been using as a home for the past month or so. After their mother had died their father wanted nothing to do with them. So they traveled all around the country looking for god knows what. All Jason knew was that Thalia wanted to get to New York. She said things would be easier in New York. How? Jason didn't know. How could a 13 year-old take care of her eleven year-old brother in New York or not?
"Alright, Jason what do you want to eat today?" Thalia asked
"How about Mickey D's" Jason answered
"Okay, but this is the last time for this week" Thalia replied
They were in Atlanta, Georgia and Jason had no idea how they got there in a month. Going from Sonoma, California to Atlanta, Georgia in a month just by cabs and walking seemed almost impossible but he guessed that people felt sorry for them so they got free passes. Thalia got them to the closest McDonalds and ordered a stack of hot cakes for the both of them. They shared a large coke and walked back to their alley. When they got there they found a boy that looked a little bit older than Thalia maybe fourteen? He had blue eyes, was a bit scrawny, had short-cropped sandy hair and a long scar going from his eye to jaw bone. He was digging through their stuff and when he saw the two of them with their worn-out clothes, sad eyes and dirt all over their bodies his eyes filled with sympathy.
"I don't know who you are but you better leave before you get hurt." Thalia said, threateningly.
"I mean you no harm. I promise" the strange boy said "My name is Luke. Luke Castellean"
Thalia looked at him skeptically as if seeing if he was worthy to be in her presence. After staring at him for a long, awkward minute she stuck out her hand and said
"Thalia and this is Jason. Why were you looking through our stuff?"
"I'm sorry about that, it's just I'm homeless" Luke cringed at that word and it was then Thalia's turn to show sympathy "and I ran out of food and clothes" Thalia looked him up and down once more and saw that he was telling the truth. He had on clothes that were way to small for him and his arms and legs were covered in dirt. Thalia decided that she would do whatever she could to help this boy
"How old are you?" She asked
"I'm 14" was Luke's reply
"Well, Luke, if you want you can stay with us" She said carefully avoiding Jason's skeptical glance
"Really?" Luke asked as a look of pure happiness spread across his face.
"Sure" Thalia answered "But if you hurt Jason in any way I will pound you to pieces" Jason looked away in embarrassment.
"Shut it, Thals. I'm 11 and can take care of myself." Jason said in a voice that surprised Luke. He spoke with such deep voice that held determination and sadness. He looked at Luke as if challenging him to defy his statement.

"Thank you guys, so much! I have been on the run for about 6 months and I came from Connecticut" Luke said.
"No problem, Luke" was Thalia's reply "We have been running for about a month and came from California"

"California?" Luke asked with a surprised look on his face "How on Earth did you make it to Georgia from California in a month! I went from Connecticut to Georgia in SIX months!"

"Thalia doesn't mess around when she does things" Jason replied "She also can be very persuasive when she wants to be. It's almost like she controls other people's minds"

Luke all of a sudden looked somewhat scared of Thalia. Great, Thalia thought Another person to be afraid of me

"Shut up, Jas. I DO NOT control people's minds. Like you said I can be persuasive," Thalia said feeling self-conscious.

"Well what do you guys normally do?" Luke asked trying to change the subject.

"Right now we are planning on going up to South Carolina and keep going North to New York" Jason said trying to avoid Thalia's gaze, who was still mad at his comment from before.

"Alright Then lets get going" Luke said walking north leaving Thalia and Jason to grab their stuff and scramble after him.


When Leo Valdez came home from school he went to his mother, Esperanza's, machine shop. He found his mother underneath a car in the garage.
"Mama! I'm home!" He called.
"Hola, mijo!" She called back "there is food in the office for you!"

"Thank you!" he said as he walked into his mother's office and searched the desk until he found a cookie wrapped in a plastic bag. After a few bites Leo heard a shuffling in the corner of the small office. He turned to discover an old lady sitting in a folding chair.
"Tia" he said

"Yes, my boy. It is me," The old lady answered. Leo started shaking. This lady was psycho. When he was little she was his babysitter. That, of course, was before she lit his hands on fire. When Leo's mother came home that day and found Leo with burns all over his hands Tia was fired immediately. She appeared again two years ago when Leo was nine. Leo was to small to realize that she wasn't supposed to be here. He was just excited he got to see his old nanny again. But the day of her return was a dreadful one.
Leo remembered falling asleep with Tia holding his head in her lap. He didn't know what happened when he was asleep but he woke up to a very painful feeling. It felt like a thousand bees were stinging him repeatedly while he was being dipped in salt water. His whole back and side were on fire he realized. He started shrieking in pain while Tia laughed cruelly. His father, Hephaestus, came running into the room and saw Tia. When he tried to find the voice that he recognized as his son's his eyes drifted to the fireplace. He saw his son, his one and only child, burning in the bed of coals. He sprinted over to the fireplace and tried to get his son out. He reached in and grabbed Leo's arm and dragged him out of the burning coals. After he put his son on the couch and called the ambulance he walked over to Tia, who was sitting by the ghastly fireplace. When he got to her he heard a pounding of feet on the floor and turned just in time to see his wife come into the room. When he turned to face Tia again she met him half way and made him lose his balance. He was struggling to stay standing and all Tia did was give him one more tiny push and he fell right into the flames. When he hit the ground his skull made a sickening thud. He was knocked out cold, in the flames and his son was dying. Esperanza tried to reach him but Tia stood in the way. She tried to pass her but Tia grabbed her arm and flung her back towards her son. Mrs. Valdez didn't know what to do. She heard the sirens of the ambulance outside and screamed. When the paramedics entered the room they saw a woman lying on the floor clutching a young boy covered in burn marks, a man on fire in the fireplace and a woman with a sick smile o her face. The next thing Leo knew he was in the hospital with his father lying in the bed next to him. Then he saw the scars. They were all over his dad's body. He looked down onto his own and saw his image reflected his fathers. He drifted back to sleep hearing to the sound of sobbing. He didn't realize until later that those cries were his own.

"You can't be here," Leo said, his voice cracking. He felt like the scars on his body were being yanked open again. This lady is the reason his father died. It's her fault the kids at school made fun of his scars and looked at him weirdly, some even starred at him for hours at a time.

"MAMA" He for his mother as loud as he could.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, boy" Tia responded. Leo heard his mother screaming in pain and shock. He sprinted from the office and back into the garage. He found his mother drenched in oil and on fire. He tried to smother the flames but all he did was make it worse. I'm so sorry, Mama. I know exactly how you feel, Leo thought as he saw the life leave his mother's eyes. He sat there for hours, wondering what to do. He remembered his family in New York. That is were I will go he thought. He packed a bag and just before he was about to leave, he looked around the garage for something he could bring with him. His eyes settled in a photo of his father, mother and him just a few days before the incident that resulted in his father's death. He picked up the photo and stuffed it in his pack. Before he left for good he tapped on the walls of the machine shop. I love you; you will always be with me.

Hey guys! Yeah I know happy ending but I want to know who's story do you want me to do next?

Piper and frank or Piper and hazel? PS if you chose Hazel Nico WILL be involved!